Planooraph co



D. E. WORRELL.

ELECTRIC HXTURE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, IBH.

1 ,309,052. Patented July 8, 1919.

TIIB COLUMBIA mnonIuPu $0., WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DWIGHT E. WORK-ELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HARTERMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC-FIXTURE SUPPORT.

Application filed June 16, 1917.

To all whom it may concern.

lie it known that I, DWIGHT E. VVoRnELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at (,lhicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-FixtureSupports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a hanger for fixtures which has a universalmovement about the point of support so that the fixture-supporting stemwill be suspended in a vertical position regardless of the position ofthe xture-supporting box in the ceiling. The invention consists in thenovel construction, combination and arrangement of the parts.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a sectional view illustratingthe invention as applied to an outlet box and with a pull switch inposition within the box;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the fixture-sup porting member with the switchand electric connections omitted; and

Fig. 3 illustrates a modification.

In suspending a fixture from an outlet box it often happens that thebottom of the box is not exactly in a horizontal plane, so that if thefixture-supporting stem is rigidly secured to the outlet box the stemwill not be exactly vertical, but will stand at a fixed angle, which isvery objectionable and unsightly in appearance.

The present invention relates to a support by which the above-mentionedobjection is overcome by permitting a limited universal movement of thesupporting stem at its upper end. With such a construction the fixturecan be hung evenly and the stem will assume a vertical positionregardless of the position of the outlet box.

In the accompanying drawing, the numeral 4 designates generally anoutlet box which is secured in the ceiling, or at the top of the roomwhere the fixture is to be placed, and has connected with it a conduit 5in which are insulated conductors 6 and 7 for supplying current to theelectric fixture. The lower side of the box is wholly or partly open,and at opposite sides are threaded ears or projections 8 to which acover, or a fixture support is secured.

The fixture-supportin means comprises a tube or stem 9 provide at thetop with a threaded fitting 10. As shown in Fig. 1,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1915).

Serial No. 175,069.

a segment 11 of a spherical shell is secured by means of a flange to thefitting 10, and has an inward projection 13 at one point in the natureof a pin. On each side of the shell 11 are members 14 and 15 which arealso preferably in the form of a seginent of a sphere which terminateshort of the inner periphery of the shell 11 and extend beyond. theouter periphery thereof, so that a universal guide is made for the shell11 permitting it to rotate freely to a limited degree in all directions.In the inner member 15 is a hole 16 through which the projection 13 ofthe shell 11 extends to limit the universal movement of the shell 11 inall directions. The supporting members 1% and 15 are pressed together atthe portion surrounding the curved part forming a solid angular portion17 which is continued and bent outwardly forming a circular flange 18,through which screws 19 may be inserted into the threaded projections 8of the outlet box 4: in order to secure the supporting members 14 and 15to the outlet box.

In the angular portion 17 of the supporting member a perforation 19through which a threaded stem 20 of a pull switch 21 is inserted, theedges of the hole 19 being first insulated by means of a bushing 22 anda washer 23. A nut 24- is attached on the outside of the threaded stem22, thereby binding the switch firmly in place, and extending throughthe nut for operating the switch is a pull cord 25. The construction ofthe switch. itself constitutes no part of this invention, except ashereafter set forth in the claims. The conductor 7 extends from theconduit 5 to the switch, and a conductor 26 extends from the switch withthe other conductor 6 through the stem 9 of the electric fixture.

In the form shown by Fig. 3 there is a supporting member 27 of a singlethickness of material, which is formed at the lower end with a segmentalspherical shell 28 having a perforation 29. Secured to the fitting 10are two segmental shells 30 and 31 which fit over the inside and outsideof the shell 28, with a connecting pin 32 disposed in the perforation29.

It is evident that with either of these forms of supports the stem 9 canbe re tateda considerable distance in any direction in order to permitthe Stem to ex tend vertically, even though the supporting means for thefixture support may be uneven, or at a considerable angle from thehorizontal. It is obvious that although an outlet box 1 has beendescribed as the supporting means for the fixture support, any othersupporting means to which the support formed by the junction of themembers 14 and 15 with the support 27 may be secured, is alsocontemplated by the invention. It is also obvious that othermodifications might be made without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention.

I claim 1. In an electric fixture, a fixed support, a depending stem, aself-centering connection between them comprising spherical shellsegments slidably fitting one within the other and one attached to theupper end of the stem and another attached to the support, and means forpermitting a limited movement between the shells in any direction, saidmeans including a perforation in one of the shells and a projection fromthe other shell extending loosely into the perforation and normallydisposed centrally thereof.

2. In an electric fixture, a fixed support, a depending stem, aself-centering connection between them comprising concentric sphericalshell segments fitting one Within the other and one attached to theupper end of which is attached to the upper end of the stem and extendsupwardly therefrom with an integral inwardly extending projection, theother shell portions being secured to the fixed support and dependingtherefrom engaging the opposite sides of the other shell member andterminating at a distance from the stem, the innermost shell having aperforation in which the projection fits loosely but is normally in thecenter thereof, the said perforation and the edges of the shells whichare spaced from the end of the stem permitting a limited universalmovement of the stem with respect to the fixed support about the commoncenter of the said shells.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this9th day of June, A. D. 1917.

DWIGHT E. W URRELL.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

ISO

